Creepy Crimes at Camp Chase
by Fegerrific
Summary: It is said that the spirits of lost lovers haunt Camp Chase cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. But when a grieving ghost turns violent, it's time to call in Mystery Incorporated! Based on an idea by kendramccormick
1. What Would Scooby-Doo?

Abby Kowalski yawned throughout another one of Mr. Alexander's interminable lectures on the importance of the Ottoman Empire. The clock ticked slowly as Abby finally gave up pretending to listen and began doodling a picture of her idol, Scooby-Doo. Suddenly, the bell rang, jarring the class out of their boredom-induced stupor.

"Remember, everyone!" Mr. Alexander called over the din of students stuffing books into backpacks. "Your Columbus history papers are due at the end of the month. You should have at least part of it written by Monday. Have a great weekend!"

Abby flipped her notebook shut and slipped it and her history book into her bag and slung it over her shoulder before slinking to the library.

"What a way to begin a weekend," Abby mumbled, pushing her shoulder-length auburn hair out of her eyes and pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. She tiptoed into the dusty school library under the watchful eye of the cranky Mrs. Howard, a plump woman squeezed into a faded flower-printed muumuu, her salt-and-pepper hair pulled back into a severe bun.

"How may I help you?" she asked, wearing her best 'don't-even-**think**-of-speaking-above-a-whisper' glare.

"I just need a few books on Columbus history," Abby replied. "I was hoping to research Camp Chase and the legends surrounding it."

"Hmmmm…Camp Chase…Mrs. Howard nibbled on her bottom lip before ambling off to the dusty back shelves, closely followed by Abby. "These shelves here'd be your best start," she said, hefting a massive book off the shelf and stirring up years of accumulated dust.

"Thanks," Abby coughed, waving away the dust clouds and brushing a stray dust bunny from her cyan 'What Would Scooby Doo?' t-shirt.

After an hour of dull, monotonous reading, Abby's eyes were crossing. She slammed _A Brief History of Columbus, _raising yet another cloud of dust and causing Mrs. Howard to fix her with a glare. Abby slipped the book back onto the shelf and headed out for some hands-on research at the cemetery.

Abby crept through swirling ankle-deep fog in the dimming twilight. The ivory stones glimmered eerily in the near-darkness. Extracting her phone from the pocket of her beige shorts, she captured a photo of one of the tombstones before reaching into her backpack for a pencil and paper. Placing the sheet of paper over the tombstone, she gently moved the pencil back and forth to make a rubbing of the engraving.

The only sound in the graveyard was Abby's pencil moving back and forth. The wind picked up quickly, sending a chill down the girl's spine. _"Get out…"_ came a whisper.

"Who's there?" Abby demanded, sounding much braver than she felt.

"_Get out…" _came the whisper again.


	2. Distress Call

Mystery Incorporated sat in their favorite booth at the malt shop, relaxing after solving another gruesome case. "Hey, listen to this, gang," Fred Jones announced, cracking open the newspaper. " 'Sleuths solve boat hijacking mystery.' " he read. " 'Alleged thieves taken into custody by sheriff.' "

Velma grinned smugly. "That was some plan they had, but they didn't count on us coming along."

"Ruh uh!" Scooby barked triumphantly. He slurped his strawberry shake, somehow managing to empty everyone else's drink as well!

Daphne stared incredulously. "Now how did Scooby do that?"

Fred shook his head. "I guess that's another mystery."

The gang's chuckles were suddenly interrupted by Fred's cell phone shrilly ringing in his pocket. "Who could that be," he murmured. "Hello. Fred Jones speaking." A squeal usually reserved for horror movie victims or girls elected prom queen emanated from the phone, causing Fred to pull the device away from his ear. "Um…hello?"

"Sorry, I just can't believe it," the voice on the other end replied. "I'm…talking to FRED JONES! Eeeee! I'm so excited!"

"Um…can I help you?" asked Fred, unsure of the motives of this mystery voice.

"Sorry about that. I'm easily excited."

"Really, I couldn't tell," Fred murmured, having the very good sense to press mute before he said it.

"I'm Abby Kowalski, a student at the local high school." Finally, she had calmed down enough to speak normally." I'm doing a research paper on Camp Chase, a local cemetery for Confederate prisoners of war. I went there to get some rubbings from the tombstones and, while I was there, I was attacked by a ghost!"

"Well, you've called the right people," Fred proclaimed. "Mystery Incorporated is on the case!"

Fred's ears rang as Abby squealed once more. "Wow! Mystery Incorporated is coming here! This is so exciting!" Abby rattled off the cemetery's address and Fred scribbled it down on a nearby napkin. "Thanks so much! You guys are so AWESOME!" With a click, Abby hung up.

"What…was that?" Velma asked, having only heard half the conversation.

Fred frowned. "You know, I'm not quite sure…"


	3. Ghostly Gossip

As the Mystery Machine bounded down the road towards Camp Chase, Fred filled in the gang on Abby's strange phone call. "…and she said that she was attacked by a ghost in the cemetery."

"Jinkies," Velma murmured, flipping through a dusty book on Columbus legends. "Camp Chase is known to be a pretty haunted spot, but the ghosts have never attacked anyone before."

"Like, there's a first time for everything," Shaggy shuddered. "Can this be the first time we, like, don't get scared out of our wits?"

As the sun slowly sank below the horizon, the van screeched to a halt in front of the twisted and rusty gates of Camp Chase, and Fred and the rest of the gang shambled out of the to investigate. "Okay, gang," Fred announced. "Abby said that the ghost attacked her at the grave of one Ben Allen."

"BEN ALLEN!" came a shout, causing Mystery Incorporated to jump. Behind them had appeared a tall, gaunt man in a gaudy red-and-white striped suit, a flat straw hat and a wooden cane. "Ben Allen is one of the many ghosts of Camp Chase…one of the echoes of long-dead soldiers and weeping lost lovers!"

"Who are you?" Velma asked the mysterious man.

"I know all there is to know about Camp Chase," the man boasted, his voice thick with a very fake Southern accent. "Because I am "Spooky" Sam Middleton." He poked Fred with the curved end of his cane. "What about you, young fellow? Care to brave the terrors of the cemetery for only five dollars?"

Fred waved Sam's cane away. "No thanks, we're just trying to get to our hotel," he lied, trying to get away from Spooky Sam. "It's supposed to be right past the cemetery."

"Three dollars?" Sam called desperately after them as they strode away. "Two-fifty?"

The gang tiptoed through the rows of graves in the darkening gloom. "Man, this place is, like, creepy," Shaggy moaned. Scooby whined sadly as tendrils of fog snaked around his paws.

A cool gust of wind blew through the graveyard, rustling the leaves of a nearby tree. "Shhh…" Velma commanded. "Listen…" Echoing through the graveyard was the sound of a woman sobbing!

"It's coming from over there," Fred whispered. He ducked around a tombstone and shined his flashlight onto…nothing!

"Jeepers, there's no one there," murmured Daphne.

Shaggy bit his lip in fear. "Well, we didn't just imagine that sound," he replied quietly.

"You sure didn't!" came the southern-accented voice of Spooky Sam, causing the gang to jump. "I believe you just met one of the many ghosts of Camp Chase Cemetery, Louisiana Briggs, otherwise known as the Grey Lady!"

A willowy blonde woman strolled onto the scene, her eyes blazing with fury. She wore a stained pink T-shirt and dirt-smudged blue jeans. A smear of dirt marred her cheek and her once-white tennis shoes were caked with dried mud. "Sam!" she snarled furiously. "I told you before! You can HAVE your ghost tours, but you'd BETTER leave my great-great-great-great…uh…great-great grandmother out of this!"

"Your grandmother?" the gang echoed in unison.

"Yes," the woman declared proudly. "I am Kendra Briggs, the great-great-oh, you get the idea-granddaughter of Louisiana Briggs. And I will not tolerate you profiting off my legacy, Sam!" Sam stammered under Kendra's fierce glare before turning tail and running away like a coward.

"Ms. Briggs?" Velma asked cautiously. "What was Sam talking about with the 'ghost?' "

Kendra looked down at the ground. "It's a very sad tale. Would you like to hear it?"

While Shaggy and Scooby motioned refusal, Kendra began her story.


	4. Lost Loves

_Fifty pairs of eyes watched Louisiana Rainsburgh creep slowly down the aisle of the church. Resplendent in an ivory gown, Louisiana clutched a bouquet of periwinkle flowers in her shaking hands. A small tear rolled down her cheek as she approached the altar where her husband-to-be, Ben Allen, stood._

_ With trepidation, the beautiful bride tiptoed up the steps and stood face-to-face with the man she was to wed. She barely heard the minister drone the 'dearly beloved' speech and the vows passed in a blur. Finally, the moment had arrived. "If anyone here thinks these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."_

_ "I object!" came a strong voice. The congregation looked around wildly before realizing that the objection had emanated from the bride's own mouth! "I will not marry this man! He is a thief and a liar!"_

_ The crowd gasped in shock at this turn of events. All eyes turned accusingly to Ben Allen. "A thief?" echoed Ben. "Louisiana, please explain!"_

_ "I shouldn't have to," Louisiana scoffed coldly. "You should know perfectly well that you stole my priceless diamond necklace. That was a deathbed gift from my grandmother, you heartless cur! Where did you hide it?"_

_ "I've stolen nothing!" Ben protested desperately, but it was too late; mob mentality had taken over the congregation._

_ "Hang 'im!" "Drown 'im!" "Search 'is house!" "Tar n' feathers!" the bloodthirsty crowd began to shout. But before vigilante justice could ensue, Ben Allen vanished into the twilight._

_ Although their victim had escaped, the mob instead turned to finding the stolen property. They stormed out of the church in mass exodus to demolish the thief's home. _

_Louisiana sadly watched as her former lover's house was ransacked in the mad search for the necklace. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped itself around Louisiana's throat and dragged her away from the scene. Louisiana struggled mightily, but to no avail._

"_I should kill you," the mysterious assailant hissed. "But that would be too kind." Louisiana gasped in horror as she recognized the voice of Ben Allen! "You know in your heart of hearts that I'm innocent. I want you to live with that knowledge the rest of your days." He spun Louisiana around and kissed her passionately. She offered no resistance. "I still love you and always will," Ben sighed before relinquishing his hold on her and sprinting off into the night._

_That was the last that Louisiana saw of her true love. In shame, her family married her off to a family friend named Charles Briggs. She died soon afterwards, some say of a broken heart. But her restless spirit continued to roam the earth, striving for a way to be reunited with her one true love…_


	5. The Grey Lady

"…Rumor has it that Charles Briggs always loved Louisiana, and saw Ben Allen as a threat. It's believed that he stole the necklace and framed Ben for the crime. With Ben out of the way, Charles could have Louisiana as his bride," Kendra finished.

"Jeepers, what a story," Daphne breathed.

"I've dedicated my life to finding the necklace and clearing Ben's name. I think that it will free Louisiana's spirit and allow her to move on."

"Well, good luck," Fred replied, rolling his eyes in disbelief.

"Oh, I don't need luck," Kendra replied cryptically, turning on her heel and melting into the fog.

Daphne nibbled on her bottom lip, smearing rose-colored lipstick on her teeth. "That certainly was…interesting."

"Try suspicious," Velma countered. "I think we should keep an eye on her."

Shaggy stepped forward. "Like, no way! The only thing we should be keeping our eyes on is a delicious turkey club! Can't we just agree that she's weird and get the heck out of Creepsville!?"

_"Get out…"_ came a raspy whisper.

"Yes, exactly," Shaggy said. "Get out of here and into our nice, safe hotel with room service. Isn't that right…S-Scooby?"

Shaggy turned to the Great Dane, who stood frozen in horror, staring at the spectre that had just materialized in the graveyard. Floating in midair was a transparent woman wearing a shredded lavender gown. Her white-blonde hair floated as though underwater. She held a flickering candle in one skeletal hand. The other pointed towards the exit as she intoned once more, "_Get out…"_

Without hesitation, the sleuths of Mystery Incorporated beat a hasty retreat out of the graveyard, never looking back until they'd reached their hotel.


	6. A Cranky Caretaker

After a restless sleep, the gang met in the lobby the morning after their frightening encounter. "I was up late researching the Camp Chase last night," Velma began, setting down her laptop and tilting it so the gang could see. "This is the necklace that Kendra is looking for." An egg-sized ruby-red jewel glimmered on a slender golden chain studded with diamonds.

"Beautiful," Daphne whistled.

"And pretty valuable, I'd wager," Fred replied, studying the grainy picture carefully.

"Well, it certainly isn't edible," Shaggy mumbled, as he and Scooby gorged themselves on the hotel's continental breakfast. "Therefore, a waste of time if you ask me."

Fred rolled his eyes. "All right, we need to get moving. I want another look at the cemetery!"

After a short drive, the Mystery Machine screeched to a halt in front of Camp Chase. The gang clambered out of the van and entered the cemetery through the massive stone gate. "Guess Spooky Sam only comes out at night," Velma remarked, noticing a definite lack of theatricality in the cemetery.

"An' believe me, no one appreciates that more'n I do," a voice replied, causing the gang to jump slightly in surprise. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. I'm Russ Masterson, th'caretaker." Russ was a heavyset man in dirty beige coveralls. In his gloved right hand he held a dirt-caked shovel, which he shifted to his other hand for a round of hand-and-pawshakes. "Spooky Sam wears me out," Russ explained, pulling off his beige cap and running his gloved fingers through his close-cropped dark hair. "Some people're jus' too excited about ghosts!"

"I know the feeling," Shaggy murmured quietly.

"Make-believe's a waste a-time," Russ mumbled. "His tour groups, they come in here and tramp around, messin' up all my hard work and immaculate landscapin'."

"We're sorry to hear it, Mr. Masterson," Fred replied.

Russ waved a hand disdainfully. "Eh…call me Russ! An' it taint your fault, sonny. "Spooky" Sam's the one ter blame, and he'll get 'is soon enuff!" Mumbling to himself, Russ stalked away quickly, swinging his shovel wildly as he walked.

"My, he certainly was…interesting," Daphne remarked.

"And suspicious," Velma finished. "We should keep an eye on him, too."

"Good idea, Velma!" Fred announced. "Let's split up, gang. Shaggy, you and Scooby tail Russ. Velma, Daphne and I will go look for clues around Ben Allen's tombstone."

After a bribe of three Scooby Snacks apiece, Shaggy and Scooby agreed to the plan.


	7. Grave Danger

Picking through the rows of ivory tombstones, Fred's sharp eyes noticed a tiny piece of black plastic. "Hey, what's this?"

Velma crouched down to examine the plastic piece. "It looks like a keyboard key…" she murmured. "A letter _T_ to be precise. Jinkies, what a clue!" She pocketed the key and the gang continued their search.

Meanwhile, Shaggy and Scooby 'stealthily' followed the caretaker through the cemetery, all the way up to his ramshackle cottage behind the cemetery. "Like, Scoob, can you see anything?"

Scooby peered through the dirty, cracked window. "Rope!"

"Thank goodness," Shaggy murmured.

"Ripe!" Scooby yipped, falling backwards in surprise as Russ' face, appeared in the window. Scooby and Shaggy tumbled over each other in their haste to get away, but Russ stumbled out of the shack in time to catch them.

"What're you kids doin' out here? Spyin' on me?"

"Like, would you believe we're looking for a phantom?"

Russ shrugged. "Workin' in a cemetery, I get stranger excuses. Why don' yeh come on in? I'm jus' updatin' mah files. I like ter have an' updated list o'where everyone's a-buried, jes' in case sumpthin' bad happens like a quake or a lan'slide."

"And that's not morbid at all," Shaggy mumbled to himself. Russ pretended not to hear him.

"This ol' laptop o' mine's missin' more than a few keys, but if I press hard enuf, usually it'll co-operate wif' me. Dern mod'ren technology. Anyway, yer phantom, yeh mean the Grey Lady doncha?"

"Like, yeah, how did you know?" Shaggy gulped.

"Oh, it's not like yeh the firs' ghost hunters 'round these parts," Russ replied with a dismissive wave of his weathered hand. "People been lookin' fer the Grey Lady since Ah been here an' even longer, I'd a-wager. Do yeh know the story?"

"Kendra — uh, Ms. Rainsburgh — told us last night."

"Oh, yeh've met Kendra," Russ replied. "She's another one a-them ghos' hunters. She a l'il creepy, too,"

"Rimagine rhat," Scooby mumbled quietly.

"Well, we should probably get back to the gang," Shaggy said in a futile attempt to get away.

Russ stood. "Oh, yeh can't go yet." He picked up his shovel in one hand and strode towards the dog-and-detective duo threateningly. "No, the visit's jes' started." Shaggy and Scooby cowered in fear at the approaching man. "I can' let you leave…without offering yeh s'me snacks! Seriously, where're my manners?!"

Shaggy and Scooby breathed a sigh of relief as Russ strode into the kitchen and reemerged with a tray of food. "Sorry, 't'ain't much. Usually jus' me here 'n th' doc ask'd me ter cut down on the junk." He patted his ample stomach. "At my age, y'know?"

Scooby and Shaggy began salivating. "Well, we'll be, like, happy to take it off your hands, dude!"

As Scooby and Shaggy gorged themselves, Fred, Velma and Daphne continued their search through the graveyard, only to come up empty handed. "Well, we've gone through this graveyard with a fine-toothed comb," Fred sighed. "And no clues to be found."

"Yeah, and where're Shaggy and Scooby?" asked Velma. "Usually they've come running out of nowhere being chased by the ghost by now."

"Hmmmm…that is odd. We should probably go check up on them."

The trio ambled towards the caretaker's shack, only to have the door open in their faces as Shaggy and Scooby, now sporting overly large stomachs, hobbled outside. "And like, thanks for the grub, Russ!" called Shaggy.

The door slammed angrily behind the two as Russ muttered words unsuitable for a Rated K fanfiction.

"So, did you eat someone else out of house and home?" asked Daphne, surveying the two gluttons and trying not to laugh.

Scooby slurped happily. "Ruh huh! Rummy, roo!"

Fred rolled his eyes. "Well, I think we've found out everything we can, here. Let's go find Abby and see what she knows about this ghost."


	8. Mother Knows Best

Fred checked the address on his hand-scrawled sheet of paper. "We're here!" he announced, pulling into Abby's driveway. The gang piled out of the Mystery Machine and strode up to the door.

The doorbell had barely finished echoing before the door opened, revealing a plump woman in a frilly pink bathrobe and bunny slippers. "Visitors?" she asked curiously. "If you're selling anything, we've already given to the boy scouts and the police force. And we've already heard the good news, thank you very much." She tried to shut the door, but Fred managed to wedge his foot inside.

"Ms. Kowalski, we're Mystery Incorporated. Your daughter called us to come and help with a mystery here in town."

Ms. Kowalski eyed the sleuths with suspicion before finally recognizing them. "Of course! You're the characters on that one _Spooky-Roo_ show she makes us watch all the time. But I didn't know she called you for anything. I hope she wasn't a bother."

"Oh no, we're glad to help. Would it be possible that she help us with this case?"

"Only if her homework's done. Abby, dear, your friends are here!" Mrs. Kowalski called up the stairs.

"Friends?" Abby echoed. "I'll be right down!" Soon, Mystery Incorporated heard Abby thumping down the stairs, followed by the 'horror-movie-victim' squeal as she saw the gang. "It's really you! Mystery Incorporated really came! Didja figure out who did it yet?"

"Not yet," Fred admitted. "We were hoping you could help us, because you've seen the ghost."

Abby's jaw dropped almost to the floor. "Can I, mom? Can I? Can I?"

Mrs. Kowalski thought for a moment. "Do you have that paper started yet?"

"Mmmmmoooooommmmm," Abby whined, but her mother's tone was firm.

"At least three pages. Then you can go." Grumbling all the way, Abby meandered up the stairs. Mrs. Kowalski returned her attention to the gang. "Well, feel free to take a seat. I would offer you some food, but I've seen enough of the show to know that it would be a very bad idea."

Shaggy and Scooby suddenly was aware of everyone's eyes on them. "Like, what'd we do?"


	9. Biggest Fan?

Velma bent over Abby's shoulder. "How's your paper coming along?"

"Eh, not too bad," Abby answered. "I just printed out a copy. Would you mind proofreading it for me?"

"Not at all," Velma replied, taking the stack of paper to read.

_Columbus, Ohio is a place of legends. One famous legend is from Civil War era. Camp Chase, a well-known graveyard for prisoners of war, is a rumored home of a ghoul known as Grey Lady. She hovers over graves, more specifically, of her love, Ben Allen, and weeps…_

"It's a little choppy, but altogether not bad, Abby," said Velma, handing it back to the girl. "I marked a few places where it needs some work."

"Wow! Thanks, Velma!" Abby exclaimed, taking her paper and shuffling through it with a cursory glance. She shut her laptop and stuffed in her backpack. "All right, time to go!" She hefted her backpack onto her shoulder and clambered down the stairs.

Abby kept up a non-stop commentary all the way to Camp Chase. "Like, zoinks, Scoob," Shaggy murmured quietly. "She's almost worse than your neph—"

"Shhh…" Scooby whispered, placing a paw over Shaggy's mouth.

Mystery Incorporated arrived at Camp Chase just as the sun was beginning to sink over the horizon.

"Well now!" came the Southern accented voice of Spooky Sam. "Back again, Miss Abby?"

Abby giggled. "You can't scare me away that easily, Sam."

"Such a brave girl. Who are your friends?"

Abby dragged the gang forward to 'meet' Sam. "This is Mystery Incorporated. They're ghost hunters trying to figure out the mystery of the Grey Lady.

Sam turned chalk white. "Ghost hunters!?" His Southern accent vanished instantly. "L-l-leave I should. Go I must. Going is good s-staying is-is bad." He snatched up his cane and beat a hasty retreat into the night.

"Jinkies, that certainly was…suspicious," Velma remarked.

Abby gasped. "Y-You said 'jinkies.' I can't believe I just heard you say jinkies! Whee! Best day ever!"

Mystery Incorporated exchanged glances that clearly said, 'What have we gotten ourselves into?'


	10. Research and Revenge

As the gang, plus Abby, strode through the cemetery, they noticed a mysterious glow emanating from behind a tombstone. Fred placed a finger over his lips and crept up to the glow. The rest of the group steathily followed suit.

Kendra Briggs leaned up against the tombstone, cradling a flashlight under her neck, aiming the beam at a thick history book laying on the ground. She typed furiously as she read. "Okay, so carry the three…divide by four…and then we find that in 1863…the necklace was… recovered and…then lost again…pawn shop in…"

"Excuse me?" Velma interrupted, causing Kendra to leap into the air in shock. "Sorry to interrupt, just saw the glow from your laptop and wasn't sure what it was."

"Just doing some research," Kendra snapped impatiently. "That's not a crime, is it?"

"No, I do it all the time, actually," Velma replied, barely hiding her annoyance under a thin veneer of patience.

"Then you'll know how important **concentration **is," Kendra replied tersely. "I've been searching for years and I've finally been able to track the necklace to this graveyard. So if you'll excuse me…" She shut her laptop and gathered up all her books before melting into the night.

"Well, that was suspicious," Velma remarked.

"Hmmm…I've got a funny feeling about her," Fred agreed. "Since we've got a lot of ground to cover, let's split up, gang!" (The rest of the gang had the presence of mind to slam their hands over their ears to protect them from Abby's resulting squeal of joy.) "Daphne and I will go check out the caretaker's cottage, while Velma follows Kendra. Shaggy, you and Scooby go with Abby to Ben Allen's grave."

Shaggy and Scooby threw an angry glare Fred's way as they stalked off with (still-chattering) Abby in tow.

"Like, the worst thing about this spooky cemetery is, like, the lack of a snack bar," Shaggy quipped as he, Scooby and Abby crept through the graveyard.

"Hey, I'm hungry, too, Shaggy," commented Abby. "Maybe we could be related!"

"No we could not be," Shaggy murmured quietly, so only Scooby could hear. Scooby snickered quietly. As the trio crept through the graveyard, even Abby fell silent in the stillness of the fog-enshrouded tombs. "Well, at least there, like, hasn't been any sign of our ghoul-friend."

At these words, the transparent figure of the Grey Lady suddenly materialized in front of them! She emitted a wordless shriek and dive-bombed them from the air!

"Like, me and my big, fat, stupid mouth."


	11. Final Clues

Kendra strode quickly in between the rows of tombstones as Velma struggled to catch up with her quick pace. At last, Kendra vanished into the night without a trace. As Velma attempted to follow the sound of her sneakered footfalls, she managed to trip over something and run headlong into Fred and Daphne! As they picked themselves off the ground, Velma noticed what she'd tripped over.

"A book?" Daphne questioned as Velma dusted off the old tome.

"Not just any book," Velma replied, flipping through the yellowed pages. "A clue, too. _Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Ghosts and Still Get to Sleep_. I think this about wraps up this case."

"So we need to capture that ghost next," proclaimed Fred.

"Well, here's your chance," Daphne finished, pointing a shaking finger. "Because here it comes now!"

Shaggy, Scooby and Abby were dashing through the graveyard, shrieking and hollering as the transparent Grey Lady chased them!

"After them!" Fred commanded, and a chase scene ensued!

After chasing them nearly the length of the graveyard, leaping over gravestones and ducking under spindly tree branches, the Grey Lady vanished as mysteriously as she had appeared.

"Like, we're safe," Shaggy puffed once Fred, Velma and Daphne had joined them.

But as the gang struggled to catch their breaths, the hideous specter appeared once more!

"Zoinks!" Shaggy screeched, leaping behind Scooby to hide. "Like, the ghost is back!"

"It's not really a ghost," Velma scoffed. "Just a very sophisticated hologram. Isn't that right…"


	12. The Mystery is Revealed!

"…Abby?"

Abby hung her head. "Yeah, you figured it out." She extracted a remote from her pocket and pushed a button. Instantly, the wailing ghost vanished. "How'd you know?"

"Well, my first clue was this keyboard key, which proved that someone had been using a computer to create the hologram of the Grey Lady."

"So? Lots of people have computers with missing keys."

"Right. Russ' laptop has seen better days as well. I also found this among the graves." She held up _Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ghosts and Still Get to Sleep._ "It's a research book about the Grey Lady legend at Camp Chase."

"But that could've been Kendra's, right?" Abby whined.

Velma nodded. "It could've been. So, I needed one more clue to pull everything together, and I found it when I was reading your paper." Abby rearranged her face into an appropriately puzzled look. "While it certainly isn't bad for a writer your age, it was a little choppy, with odd word choices. That's because you were trying to write around the missing letter T on your keyboard. And, since you were writing about Camp Chase, I deduced that the research book must have been yours as well."

Abby sighed. "Okay, okay, fine. You got me."

"The last piece of the puzzle, though, is why?" Fred piped in. "Why'd you do it?"

"Because," Abby blushed a few shades of red. "I'm…I'm your biggest fans. I wanted you to come solve a cool, spooky mystery like you do on TV. So I thought I'd make up my own mystery for you to solve. I'm sorry, you guys."

Fred chuckled. "It's okay, Abby. You did a really good job haunting the place."


	13. Epilogue: The Dead Tell Tales

As Abby gathered up her equipment, she accidentally activated the hologram generator, causing the ghostly image of the Grey Lady to be projected into the air.

"Like, zoinks!" Shaggy screeched. "Another ghost!"

Scooby dug into the ground to escape and hide, but amid the flying dirt clods flew a diamond necklace!

Fred grabbed ahold of Scooby's collar. "Whoa, wait, Scoob. It's just Abby's hologram again." Scooby relaxed a little. "And look what you found."

"The necklace…" Velma breathed excitedly.

"It's a locket," Kendra chimed in, as if summoned to the scene by the mere mention of the necklace. "And there's something in it!" She snatched at the fragile sheet of paper and began to read the spidery handwriting:

"I confess it all. I stole the necklace to frame Ben Allen so I could marry Louisiana. But she never loved me; her heart belonged to Ben alone. Ever since I've held this necklace, I've been cursed with terrifying visions and unexplainable torments. I only hope that by returning this necklace, I shall be free of its curse. Wherever you are, Louisiana, please forgive me…"

"And it's signed Charles Briggs," finished Kendra. "After all these years…it really exists! I have to get this to the Historical Society!" And with that, Kendra dashed off with the necklace in hand.

"So…" Abby began, breaking the silence. "Anyone up for Jenni's Ice Cream? My treat."

"Scooby-Rooby-ROO!" Scooby yipped in agreement, giving Abby's face a wet lick. Abby returned the favor with a kiss on his wet nose.

As the group left the cemetery, a bearded man in a Confederate uniform watched them go. Beside him stood a tall woman in a wedding dress, her brown hair flowing gently in a non-existent wind. With a slight nod to each other, they joined hands and vanished into the night.

**(A/N: Big shout out to the awesome people who have read/reviewed my stories. I can't thank you enough for sticking by me this long and for keeping me going. Hold on tight, we're not done yet. It's going to be a bumpy ride and I hope you'll be there every step of the way.)**


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